- Markus Garcia is the lesser-known half of the erstwhile LOL Boys. Having moved to Vancouver, he now produces as Heartbeat(s) and runs the ASL Singles Club label with local boy Project Pablo. So far they've specialized in trendy vocal house from the likes of Autem and Sleepyhead, but Hopeless Romantic and its pummelling warehouse grooves mark a darker—and better—shift for the fledgling imprint.
The EP begins with "All My Love," a clumsy mess of chipmunk vocals and misplaced chords. Thankfully, the rest of the EP sounds like the work of a different producer altogether. Best of all is "Gina," a sweaty, pseudo-soca groove that clings to its powerhouse vocal hook like a mantra. The climbing-and-falling bassline of "Oakland" touches on Hypercolour vibes, but Garcia puts it under a stuttering, scuffed rhythm replete with chopped vocal samples. "Another Boy" gets weird—pulsing waves of low-end push around the limping percussion, and harshly flanged sounds fall like acid rain onto the debris below. It's a bomb of a track that's abrasive and funky without slipping into outsider house cliché.
Tracklist01. All My Love
02. Gina
03. Oakland
04. Another Boy